Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-06-22
APPLE BLOSSOMS.
The Fruit Member of the Great
Rose Family.

Nature worked lovingly when sh,
made apple blossoms. These petal.
that come down softly all over me art
the color of baby's cheek, and that
is the lovingest thing in the world.
do not see why people should plant
elms, and ash, and maple. for lawn
trees, and put apples in back lot.
There is nothing like An apple tree foI
gentleness; and a gentle tree among
trees is like gentle man among men.
Their outlines are graceful, but never
formal; and their warm hearts a.e
either breaking out in smiles or golden
pipplns. When you want a perfect
front yard have a few apples; or, il you
want q fine lawn, mix apples with the
other trees.
The apple is member of the great
rose family; so are the pears, pea hes,
plums, cherries, aprlc0ts and the IGse5
and strawberries-all cousins. Did it
ever occur TO you that there is sort of
family look about these things? To be
sure the blossoms are all of likeness.
but that is MT all, they belong to q
class OF rosy, hearty, loving trunks that
never seem to have but two thoughts
10 be as beautiful as possible and as
useful as possible. like the rustic
simplicity Of orchard trees. They do
not have any fashionable ways.
Now, this special tree under which
have my hammock is dear old friend.
1t IS an Indian rarerlpe, six feet in
glrth, and when it blossoms It is Il vast
boquet, covering several square rods.
| Apples 1t bears by the thousand, but
PETALS by the million. 1t stood here
seventy years ago and has a sound
heart yet. 1t was planted by old cco-
nondoah, the chieftain, and hasa men,
ory. as trees go, that L should like 10
recall.
There Is one hollow limb that squesks
IN the wind, and a squirrel has a'family
in II. She does not mind me at all,
but runs up and down the trunk on her
domestic duties, carrying stolen BIZ
OF corn or scold!ng her lazy spouse.
Some one has written a delightful book
on the Population of Pear Tree"
One cannot begin to tell the curious
fellows that live under the bark or in
the body or on the fruit or tender twies
eA+o NANO VI 4 AC ID 4C-
giOn. Just now golden woodpecker
IS running up and down, tapping here
and there, as il to say, Sweet worm,
are you at home? And with his sharp
bill he picks the locks and makes call,
welcome or not welcome. Curious fell
lows, these wOodpeckersl They KNOW
that we are friends and do not fear Us,
but perk up their heads with jerk,
and ch!rp as Il to say, ''these fellows are
TAT, and you don't know how good they
axe. " Robins are specially fond of the
rustic appie limbs for their mud cot
tages. Yellowhammerst take to hollows in
timber and limbs. These holes are
curious PAGES. If you wish to know
wLo is inside tap on the outside. Ii
ysllowhammerS are inside they will rap
IN reply.
Suppose S.s gather huge bUqaet as
these flesh tinted blooms, and lying
down, place them lightly across the
face. Now shut your eyes; lay out your
hands on the satin turf, and drink in
the perfume. You will be pretty sure
t. go to sleep; 50 it might be better 10
Climb into the hammock. But l want
you to observe the soothing power there
IS in this fragrance to lull your senses
to rest. think that nearly all flowers
have a slight Opiate effect. But while
you are awake you will see what
wonderful sense is this of smell. We
never quite bring 1t to its best. We
rather deSpise il; but even roses and /
apple blossoms are not more than half /
revealed to the eye.
The crabs aud wild apples have the 4
finest flowers and the richest OdOTs.
But when it comes to fruit it is the /
smaller blossoms that show where the
big apples are 10 be. Then it takes
about ten TO twenty blossoms to make
d single Northern Spy or Bellensur;
but one blossom makes a crab. l mean
that nature, when she proposes to exert
herself for quality sacrifices quantity.
She throws away nearly all the bloom
Of the Spy and concentrates the energy
Of fTuitiEg on a few select specimens.
But IS the only end of the tree to besr
fruit. No; ncr the end of human life.
1t is TO BOSOM in sweetness and love;
10 give JOY, and poems, and pean, and
life of soul. SO my blessed apple Is this
lay feeding me with blessed thoughts
md sweet memories. What else did {
Emerson mean when he sung:
One harvest from your neid,
HUmewaTd brought your oxen string;
But another crop ysur acres yield,
Which gather IN L song.
Cat an apple through into thin, I
,mooth slices and hold them up to the
un. All about the core you will see
prsad out the form Of the blossom. {
the apple is only the swollen oyary OF I
he blossom. So strawberry is an
enlarged ovary carrying the seeiS out !
lpon it; but the raspberry, you see, is a {
welling of the seed enclosure, and so {
5 the blackberry. If one could go !
,ack to the origin of the rose family i
md see little, puny potentilla grow
ng under foot, how little would he be
Ible to imagine the glorious future of
he despised weed. Yet that stock has, !
y the slow process of evolution, during :
t least 500, 600 years, ended in our ;
,lOrious apples, pears, peaches and
oses, as well as most delicious berries.
Who can tell what future possibilities !,
ylll lie developed out of the weeds of
o-day2 The evolution of the apple is :
low simple, for man has taken charge
4 its improvements; but for ages it
vas hard struggle. The finer flowers
rev the most in:ects, to help in cross
civilizations; but the fner flowers pro- !
Iuced the poorer apples. On the other
and the better fruits drew the eye OF |
'irds and cattle, and so got planted. 6
IN the whole the battle was in favor
f flowers Yes there were apples good o
nough to eat as long ago as when the :
berIans built lake dwelling In Europe i
probably 10000 years ago-and We I
nd charred specimens in their kitchen b
waste.
"WHAT do we have weeks vaca- a
ion in the Spring for2" asked one Its i
le sIx-year-old schoolgirl of another. u
"Oh," answered her mate. "perhalS [
hat is so we can have q week to take
;pring medicine tn," :
HARD TINES FRUIT CAKE.-Two =